Facemask affixed to a baseball cap

ABSTRACT

A decorative facemask is disclosed to decorate the face of a wearer of a ball cap including a bill. The facemask includes a one piece plastic decorative facemask including a slot formed along a top edge of the facemask configured to receive the bill of the cap, wherein the slot is an only attachment feature holding the facemask in place. According to one embodiment, the facemask includes a plurality of plastic wires, wherein the slot is defined by two wires along a top of the facemask. A topmost of the wires can deform upward to create a frictional force between the facemask and the bill of the cap.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This disclosure is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/948,973 filed on Jul. 23, 2013 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/674,839 filed on Jul. 23, 2012, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure is related to decorative apparel related to sporting events. In particular, the disclosure is related to a decorative facemask that can be quickly and easily installed to a bill of a baseball cap.

BACKGROUND

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure. Accordingly, such statements are not intended to constitute an admission of prior art.

Facemasks are used in sports to protect the face from impact. For example, football helmets and catcher's masks in baseball are known to include a wire mesh in a crisscross pattern located to the face of the wearer. The wire mesh can be constructed from a metal wire and can be coated with a rubberized or polymer coating. A number of configurations and mesh densities are known for different applications depending upon objects that are expected to come into contact with the facemask and the resulting weight of the facemask.

Facemasks can also include a polymer visor or fitted mask. Hockey goalies may use a hard-shell polymer with holes through which to see and to breathe. Alternatively, modern hockey masks include a hard-shell polymer perimeter with a wire mesh covering an area around the eyes and nose of the goalie. Other hockey players use a clear visor that covers the eyes or the face of the player attached to the helmet of the player. Basketball players can use a nose guard including a polymer fitted to cover at least the nose of the player. Nose guards can include elastic bands connected to the nose guard and configured to wrap around the head of the player to hold the nose guard in place.

Baseball caps include a soft dome or crown configured to fit to and around the top of a person's head. The crown can be made of a plurality of generally triangular shaped panels sown together. Baseball caps also include a bill projecting outward from the front of the crown, the bill extending generally parallel to a direction of forward view of the person wearing the cap. The crown can include an adjustable band in the rear of the crown to make the cap adjustable based upon the head size of the wearer. In another embodiment, the crown can be sized or fitted to a particular head size.

SUMMARY

A decorative facemask is disclosed to decorate the face of a wearer of a ball cap including a bill. The facemask includes a one piece plastic decorative facemask including a slot formed along a top edge of the facemask configured to receive the bill of the cap, wherein the slot is an only attachment feature holding the facemask in place. According to one embodiment, the facemask includes a plurality of plastic wires, wherein the slot is defined by two wires along a top of the facemask. A topmost of the wires can deform upward to create a frictional force between the facemask and the bill of the cap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary facemask including a wire grid pattern configured to receive and be worn with a ball cap, the facemask configured to imitate a facemask used for a football helmet, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates another perspective of the facemask of FIG. 1, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary ball cap with the facemask of FIG. 1 configured thereto, with the facemask being situated to the face of a wearer, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates another perspective of the ball cap and facemask of FIG. 3, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a facemask, including a facemask imitating a facemask worn by a hockey goalie, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a facemask, including a facemask imitating a facemask worn by a baseball catcher, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary alternative embodiment of an attachment feature to connect a decorative facemask to a ball cap, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 illustrates the deformation of the facemask of FIG. 4 without the bill inserted for clarity, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 illustrates photographically an exemplary embodiment of a facemask, including a logo printed upon one of the wires, in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 illustrates photographically an exemplary embodiment of a facemask created in three different colors of plastic, in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 11 illustrates photographically an exemplary embodiment of a facemask with a bill of a hat inserted into the slot of the facemask, thereby displacing the top wire of the facemask, in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating certain exemplary embodiments only and not for the purpose of limiting the same, ball caps are comfortable and widely used. A sports fan can enjoy imitating favorite sports figures. A facemask can be configured to be attached to a ball cap to allow the wearer to imitate the facemask work by the team or player he or she admires.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary facemask including a wire grid pattern configured to receive and be worn with a ball cap, the facemask configured to imitate a facemask used for a football helmet. Decorative facemask 10 includes a decorative grid pattern 18 including a plurality of wire sections configured to imitate a facemask used in a sporting event. Throughout the disclosure, a grid pattern is described as including wire sections. Wire sections can include various cross-sectional shapes which can be selected for aesthetic and/or ease of manufacture priorities. Wire sections can include or be connected to ribs, flat sections, webbing, or other shapes useful, for example, to make the grid pattern stronger or to provide mounting points to fasten the grid to another component according to methods known in the art. Facemask 10 further includes slot 15 configured to receive a bill of a ball cap, such that the wearer of the ball cap has the facemask situated proximate to the face of the wearer. Slot 15 is defined by a lower wire 12 and an upper wire 14 which are located along an upper edge of the facemask. Slot 15 is further defined by slot end geometries 16 a and 16 b, which can be configured to narrow slot 15 at the ends in such a way that a bill inserted within slot 15 is gripped or has an interference fit at slot end geometries 16 a and 16 b. Slot 15 and slot end geometries 16 a and 16 b are an exemplary embodiment of a bill fastening feature that can be utilized to fasten, affix, or adhere a facemask to a bill of a ball cap. Other embodiments of bill fastening features are envisioned, and the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples provided herein.

A facemask including a wire grid pattern crisscrossing the face of the wearer is used in numerous sports, including football and baseball. The wire grid is sized to permit vision through the wire grid while preventing objects used in the sport or activity from directly contacting the face of the wearer. A catcher's mask used in baseball includes a dense pattern of wire grid, such that a baseball cannot pass through the grid. Catcher's masks can also include an auxiliary neck guard constructed of a polymer material and configured to hang from the bottom of the facemask to also protect the neck of the wearer. A catcher's mask can be attached to an elastic or fabric retention device configured to hold the mask to the face of the wearer. In another embodiment, a catcher's mask can be attached to a helmet configured to protect the head of the wearer. Football masks are also used. Football masks are connected with brackets or other attachment devices to a football helmet. Instead of a wire mesh, a hockey goalie mask or a basketball nose guard can be fitted to the cap similarly with an attached bracket gripping the bill. An imitation or decorative facemask imitating the facemasks worn by athletes can be worn on the baseball cap of sports fans, enabling them to show team spirit or feel more involved in the game.

A decorative facemask can be colored to fit the team colors of a particular team. Team logos can be added. In imitating a catcher's mask, a decorative neck protector known in the art can be hung from the mask.

A decorative facemask can be constructed to fit to the face of a sports fan. While functional facemasks are constructed of rigid material configured to receive impact and protect the face of the user, the primary functions of a decorative facemask are to be in place over the face of the wearer without falling off. A mask with significant weight includes increased force from gravity trying to pull the mask off of the face of the user. Additionally, a mask with significant weight has more mass, and when the user moves his or her head, a header mass will have greater inertia and be more likely to dislodge from the face of the wearer. A light mask without much weight can be used to decorate the face of the wearer and will be easier to retain effectively to the face of the user. Lightweight plastic or polymer materials known in the art can be used to make the mask. According to one embodiment, a polypropylene plastic can be utilized to make the facemask, for example, through an injection molding process. In one exemplary construction, polypropylene/plastic mixture with a hardness of 88 can be utilized.

FIG. 2 illustrates another perspective of the facemask of FIG. 1. Facemask 10 is illustrated including slot 15 defined by lower wire 12 and upper wire 14. Slot 15 without a ball cap bill installed can be a straight slot from the illustrated perspective, with curved wires 12 and 14 being situated approximately in parallel to each other.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary ball cap with the facemask of FIG. 1 configured thereto, with the facemask being situated to the face of a wearer. Ball cap 20 is illustrated with facemask 10 being installed to bill 22 and situated proximately to the face of a wearer. The facemask can be configured to fit to the face of the user without contacting the face (e.g., the nose or chin of the user) and to not overly obstruct the view of the wearer. Ball cap 20 is illustrated including bill 22, dome 24, and reinforcement band 26. Facemask 10 is illustrated including slot 15 defined by lower wire 12 and upper wire 14. Bill 22 has been inserted within slot 15 of facemask 10.

FIG. 4 illustrates another perspective of the ball cap and facemask of FIG. 3. The ball cap of FIG. 3 including bill 22 is illustrated. Facemask 10 including lower wire 12, upper wire 14, and slot end geometries 16 a and 16 b. One can see that once bill 22 is inserted into the slot between wires 12 and 14, upper wire 14 is bent upward. This deformation of wire 14 creates a downward force by wire 14 upon bill 22, thereby creating a frictional force between the wire and the bill acting to hold the facemask in place with relation to the ball cap. Further, the downward force acting upon bill 22 acts to press corners of the bill 22 into slot end geometries 16 a and 16 b, increasing a retention force applied to the bill 22 at the slot end geometries 16 a and 16 b.

A number of wire grid/grill patterns are known in sports. Many different decorative grid patterns could be utilized on embodiments of the present disclosure. According to the illustrated embodiment of a bill attachment feature, two wires of the facemask form a slot that are used to affix the facemask to the bill of a ball cap. FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a facemask, including a facemask imitating a facemask worn by a hockey goalie. Facemask 100 includes a hard plastic frame 105 that covers an area around a perimeter of facemask 100. Facemask 100 includes an opening in the center of the mask which is covered by a decorative wire mesh 118. Facemask 100 includes slot 115 configured to receive a bill of a ball cap, wherein the slot is defined by an upper frame band 114 and a lower slot edge 112. Acting similarly to upper wire 14, upper frame band 114 can be configured to bend when a bill is inserted thereto, providing force upon the bill acting to affix facemask 100 to the bill. Slot 115 is configured to be a straight slot with parallel edges, as opposed to the curved slot 15 illustrated in FIG. 2. Different slot configurations with different shapes can work better with different ball cap bill configurations. Slot 15 as illustrated in FIG. 2 can be selected for bills with significant curvature, and slot 115 can be selected for flatter bills. Any of the facemasks disclosed herein can be configured with any slot shape disclosed, and the disclosure is not intended to be limited by the examples provided. Plastic frames or shields on a real hockey mask can be decorated by ornate patterns. A fan may choose to use a facemask 100 with ornamental pattern 122 on frame 105 imitating his or her favorite goalie. Further, a design printed upon exemplary area 120 can be included including a cheer, a team logo, a goalie's name, or other sport oriented ornamentation. An alternative configuration can imitate an older style of hockey facemask including a plastic frame with a hole for each eye of the wearer.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a facemask, including a facemask imitating a facemask worn by a baseball catcher. facemask 200 can be configured similarly to facemask 10, with added features or ornamentation to imitate a facemask worn by a catcher. Wire grill pattern 218 can be configured to imitate a facemask configuration worn by catchers known in the art. Additionally, a chin pad 220 can be included on facemask 200 imitating a chin pad that can be worn upon a real catcher's facemask. Facemask 200 include slot 215 defined by lower wire 212 and upper wire 214 in a configuration similar to slot 15 of FIG. 1. A number of different wire configurations imitating facemasks used in different sports are envisioned, and the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particular examples provided herein.

A slot such as is illustrated in the exemplary embodiments of FIG. 1 or FIG. 5 can be utilized as a bill attachment feature as disclosed herein. Other embodiments of bill attachment features are envisioned. FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary alternative embodiment of a bill attachment feature to connect a decorative facemask to a ball cap. Ball cap 20 including bill 22 is illustrated. A first magnetic feature 312 and a second magnetic feature 314 are illustrated on opposite sides of bill 22 as embodiments of a bill attachment feature, with attraction between the two magnetic features affixing the magnetic features to the bill 22. Any magnetic features can be used. Magnetic features including exemplary rare earth magnets could be used to increase the attractive force or minimize the size of the magnets used. Magnetic feature 212 is attached to facemask 300 including decorative grid pattern 318. A number of other embodiments of bill attachment features are envisioned, for example, buttoning or pinning the facemask to the bill of the ball cap, and the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples provided herein.

The facemasks disclosed herein can come in a wide variety of colors. A color can be selected based upon the team local to the region in which the product is being sold. Plastics are known in the art to include a wide variety of dyes and resulting colors. In one embodiment, a swirl pattern can be created in the resulting plastic pieces, such that a team represented by the colors blue and white can be imitated by a facemask using a swirl of blue and white plastics. Decorative tags or stickers could be applied upon a decorative grid pattern, for example, showing a college's mascot. The plastic can be infused with sparkles, or sparkles can be applied to a surface of the plastic to provide a decorative flair to the facemask.

A facemask could include a tab, loop, or other feature permitting the facemask to be stored, for example, on a belt, when the user wants to take a break from wearing the facemask.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, facemask 10 can be held to a bill of a hat solely with the friction created by bending wire 14 upward away from the rest of facemask 10. Strain or deformation of the mask creates a force within facemask 10 where wire 14 tends to move back toward its original position. FIG. 8 illustrates the deformation of the facemask of FIG. 4 without the bill inserted for clarity. Facemask 10 is illustrated including wire 12 and wire 14, wherein wire 14 is displaced from original position 400 to displaced position 401. Facemask 10 is deformed at joint 18 a and joint 18 b, with the plastic being strained at these joints. The force tending to move wire 14 back toward the original position creates or increases friction between the bill and the facemask.

Additionally, the wires of facemask 10 are made entirely of plastic (e.g. polypropelene, ABS, or similar polymers.) These polymers are very light as compared to functional facemasks made of metal wire coated with a plastic outer sheathe. Such heavy functional facemasks are commonly held to the face of the user with straps. Facemask 10 can be supported solely by fitting the bill of the hat within the slot of the facemask.

FIG. 9 illustrates photographically an exemplary embodiment of a facemask, including a logo printed upon one of the wires. FIG. 10 illustrates photographically an exemplary embodiment of a facemask created in three different colors of plastic. FIG. 11 illustrates photographically an exemplary embodiment of a facemask with a bill of a hat inserted into the slot of the facemask, thereby displacing the top wire of the facemask.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a facemask is disclosed including a one piece, entirely plastic decorative facemask including a slot formed along a top edge of the facemask configured to receive the bill of a ball cap, wherein the slot is the only or sole attachment feature holding the facemask in place or proximate to the face of the wearer. In saying that the facemask is entirely plastic, one can say that all of the wires of the grid pattern are formed entirely of plastic. Superficial paint, printing, or other decoration could be added to the surface of the disclosed facemask with the facemask still essentially being made entirely of plastic in accordance with the disclosure.

The disclosure has described certain preferred embodiments and modifications of those embodiments. Further modifications and alterations may occur to others upon reading and understanding the specification. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this disclosure, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. 

1. Apparatus to decorate the face of a wearer of a ball cap comprising a bill, the apparatus comprising: a one piece plastic decorative facemask comprising a slot formed along a top edge of the facemask configured to receive the bill of the cap, wherein the slot is an only attachment feature holding the facemask in place.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slot comprises two slot end geometries configured to narrow the slot at each end of the slot.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the facemask further comprises a grid pattern constructed of entirely plastic wires; wherein the slot is defined by two of the plastic wires located along an upper edge of the facemask.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the two wires comprise an upper wire configured to bend when the bill is inserted within the slot.
 5. Apparatus to decorate the face of a wearer of a ball cap comprising a bill, the apparatus comprising: a one piece decorative facemask comprising: a grid pattern constructed of entirely plastic wires; a slot between two of the plastic wires formed along a top edge of the facemask configured to receive the bill of the cap, wherein the slot is an only attachment feature holding the facemask in place.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, a top wire configured displace upwards when the bill is inserted within the slot and apply force to the bill, wherein the applied force creates a frictional force between the bill and the facemask.
 7. Apparatus to decorate the face of a wearer of a ball cap comprising a bill, the apparatus comprising: a one piece entirely plastic decorative facemask comprising a slot formed along a top edge of the facemask configured to receive the bill of the cap, wherein the slot is an only attachment feature holding the facemask to the bill of the cap. 